THE BRITISH FILM AND TELEVISION INDUSTRY

The British film and television industries are closely interwoven, yet they also have salient differences. Television has a need for a huge amount of drama, whilst the film industry staggers along from supposed renaissance to dismal crisis. The genres preferred for both TV and Film can be summed up as:

Cops
Docs
Corsets
and Low Life.

Broadcast Television

This consists of

The BBC, which is a national corporation with regional offshoots.
The ITV network of regional companies competing to supply programmes to a central office that determines the national schedule.
Channel 4, the small ‘publishing house’ which commissions independent works.
Channel 5 with its smaller transmission coverage, and reliance upon local advertisers in each of its regions to finance cheap programming and repeats.
Satellite and Digital channels too numerous to mention but some are now branching out to doing more than buy in independently made material or repeat broadcast shows. And by 2005 all British TV will be Digital. This is the brave new world and the writer/producer will be king.

All the television companies need drama:

episodes of long-running soaps.
one-offs, series/serials.
the odd single play/film. The Teleplay is very rare nowadays, having been replaced by the low budget feature. People ‘with a track record’ write most of these. Nonetheless it is possible to break in with persistence, talent, and luck.

The Producer

The power in television resides with the producer. They have permanent jobs, expense accounts. budgets, and slots - the time when their productions can be broadcast.

Directors and Writers

Directors and writers are usually freelance, flitting from job to job for different companies. Therefore, you should send your script to a producer or the script editor who works for him or her.

How do you find these beasts?

Read the credits at the end of each T.V. programme. Look them up in T.V. or Radio Times, or some industry publication. Telephone the drama department and ask who you should submit to. Check the Writers and Artists’ Year Book or The Writer’s Handbook or some other such directory. Read your weekly copies of Broadcast and Film International.

It is important to send a single-play or series to someone who deals with that form. However, remember that a producer is unlikely to want a format for a new show if they are struggling to produce their present one. They might be willing to try new writers though.

Sit-com proposals go to the Comedy or Light Entertainment departments. A sit-com proposal is usually a format. This is a document explaining the idea, the characters, outlines for six or more episodes, plus the script of a pilot episode. They are unlikely to buy this from an untried writer. If they like it they may commission another episode.

Twenty or so years ago Anthony Jay and Jonathan Lynn had to write 4 out of 6 episodes, uncommissioned,. for the first series of the hugely successful British Sit-Com ‘Yes Minister’ before they received a commission for the series. This situation has not changed, so do not expect to be treated any better than them.

Established writers often submit a treatment for their idea, rather than a whole script. Beginners are not able to do this. Television companies will need to see a full script, rewritten and polished till it is absolutely the best you can do.

Channel 4 operates rather differently to the other organisations (though the BBC & ITV are now often behaving in a similar way). It has ‘Commissioning Editors’, who, if they like a proposal, will have an independent production company make it for them.

You might interest a company, say Working Title, in a script, then the producer there will take this to Channel 4. But be warned, this system is in a constant state of flux and the protocol of one week might change the next week. In 1998 the head of drama at Channel 4 was Gub Neal and he had his own ways of working. In 2000 his position was taking over by Tessa Ross, who by the way speaks Mandarin, and is reputedly of a theatrical bent. In 2002 though, will she still be there? One never knows.

You should read Broadcast every week to discover who is who and follow their career so that you can get a feel for how best to deal with them. Gub was very keen on big international co-production deals and quality popular TV such as thriller and mystery series. But even he changed his mind when critics were complaining about his period pieces and their over-reliance on the bedroom scene. Gub is now, as they say, an independent producer.

Film

The British film industry is chronically underfunded, has few tax concessions, and has too small a domestic market to recoup the costs of anything other than a modest film (£2m budget).

Again, the person to approach is a producer, though obviously if you have recognised acting and directorial talent attached to the project before you make an approach, that can help.

At an early stage a producer might buy an ‘option’ on your film, that is, they own it for a small fee for a limited time. This is so they can raise the finance, on the understanding that you will receive more money if the project goes ahead. You should ensure that the contract states that you will write the screenplay. If the screenplay is judged unsuitable on delivery then some other writer will be brought in to rewrite or even write a completely different script. If you initiated the project, then there should be a special credit for this even if in the end your script was not used.

Most U.K films have finance from British Screen/Channel 4/ BFI Production Board in some form. There are a few other sources, but not many.

Corporate

This is a large market for a certain type of writer. The products are usually training films and documentaries for industrial companies. Corporate writers have to work to short deadlines and produce scripts to very tight specifications. Talent in fiction writing is not necessarily a help here, nor vice versa, but I mention this because Hong Kong also has a large corporate film market and many of the small production companies here do little else. In Hong Kong, this could be an area in which to gain some experience of the film world. Credits here though are meaningless.

Cable and Satellite

There was a time when one said that these stations show little inclination to make new drama or comedy themselves but now one is not so sure that strictly applies. They are buying more, so we have the growth of large international conglomerations of smaller prodcos such as Pearson TV, which groups together the producers of shows like The Bill, Baywatch and even Neighbours. Their greatest desire is to find a show that will produce twenty six 50min episodes that cable and satellite stations can "strip" across the weekly schedules, i.e. twenty-six fifty-minute long episodes at the same time, same place, every week and even every day in some cases.

And where are they getting money to make these shows?

They get it from the Cable and Satellite stations themselves. Such are the complications of who owns what that one is now uncertain that any production company can be seen as separate from any other.

Do’s and Don’ts

Your script should be immaculately typed in the correct format, without spelling mistakes, or grammatical errors. Why spend months on a script then skimp on the final layout?

Do not litter your script with camera directions.

Do make sure the script is your final and best draft.

Do query the producer and if requested, send the script to a producer or script editor, with a S.A.E.

Once you have a producer or script editor interested in your writing, do call up the Agents and see if they will represent you.

Do not pester anyone for responses for at least three months. After three months, they have no excuse for hanging onto your script without comment.

Do be polite because although the producers might be rejecting your script, they are not necessarily rejecting you and might be happy to look at more of your work.

Do not thrust a script from your bag at a speaker at any meeting of producers or script editors. In the bar afterwards – this is the British Industry - you might tell them that you have a script and what it is about. If they like the idea then you should send it to them at their office.

Do develop a portfolio of scripts of different styles and lengths. If someone likes your work but does not think this particular script is the one to commit themselves to spending a large amount of time and money on, then you can then show them something else. It all helps to build the confidence that you are a committed, capable writer.

Do make frequent visits to London to make sure that people know who you are. It is perhaps not as necessary to live in London for the British Industry as it is to live in LA for the American, but once a script is written, you should be prepared to live in London during rewrites.

AGENTS FOR UK SCREENWRITERS

What is an agent?

Essentially an agent is a writer’s "eyes and ears" and business manager. They handle everything for you, supposedly leaving you free to write. For a percentage (usually 10% up to 20% for overseas sales) an Agent will negotiate contracts, wine and dine contacts, keep an ear to the ground for future work, and theoretically generate new work or even suggest changes in your script to make it more ‘marketable’. You, the writer, are the commodity. The Agent is there to get the best deal without losing the contract. The Writer’s Handbook suggests that a writer must earn £10,000 p.a., at least before the Agent will cover their overheads and start to see a return on their investment.

Do I need an agent?

If you don’t have one, you are operating with a handicap. In the marketplace of screenwriting, having an Agent is the equivalent to a merit badge saying: "This writer can deliver the goods". It is a sign that some other independent/respected person believes you have talent. If the Agent says you can turn in scripts to a deadline, it helps a Producer trust his own judgement - and blame someone if the project fails. Putting it bluntly: the people with the power in this industry have a reluctance to commit themselves to new/untried talent. Therefore, if a Producer receives a script from an Agent it means that at least they think you can write.

How do I get an agent?

Assuming an Agent likes your script, if there is no guarantee of work (i.e. a percentage) it is not likely that you will be taken on. Conversely, if you have sent your script to a Production Company and you are at a stage when money is being talked about, just you watch the Agents flock around.

But Production companies do not read unsolicited scripts from people without agents… So they say.

What you have to do is get to know who is looking for material and who is not. Then make inquiries as to whether they are interested in seeing your writing. Eventually, if you have made sensible queries, written good query letters outlining the sort of story they might be looking for, they might ask to see the script. This outcome is more likely if you have met the producers or their readers personally at conferences, social gatherings, through relatives, mutual friends, and whatever method you can put together to further your cause. If the script is good, then they might recommend an agent to you. If they want to buy the script, then you will have your choice of agents. More likely though, they will be interested in receiving more of your writing and will give you a recommendation that you will be able to use to find an agent. With a referral, you will find the agent.

Where do I start?

"The Writer’s Handbook" (qv. published annually) has a section listing Agents, Contact names, phone numbers, their catalogues, percentages, attitudes to unsolicited manuscripts.

There are many other directories, some with more information than others, plus a number of on-line directories though they can be expensive. All the above can be bought on-line via Amazon Books and with a bit of judicious searching you might find a newer and even better set of books.

Let us assume that you have three good feature scripts, or sample original series formats and episodes, or original sitcom formats and episodes. (Remember this is not the US. So specing current shows is not common practice) With these samples of your work, which hopefully you will have tested out in writers groups geared up to applying a professional, market orientated critical eye over your material, you will have sought out Producers to give you referrals.

Having done that you pick up the telephone and ask the relevant person when can you come to see them.

If you think this way round is long winded and want to risk cold calling, then the best advice is to phone the agency, get the name of someone who will look at a new writer and hope they will say yes to receiving your scripts. If you telephone enough of them, then maybe they will bite. Most agencies do not do this any more, though in the UK it is still possible to find reputable agencies that have someone with the job of dealing with such submissions.

If you have no other option but to cold call, then it is better to cold call producers and get hold of the names of people who are involved in developing material. Names with such titles as Creative Executive or Development Executive, will be your target and hopefully you will know which of those is looking for anything. If you must play the numbers game, it is probably better to play it submitting queries to two hundred producers than two hundred agents. This way you will get referrals to better agents, though it is less likely that you will be picked up by better production companies.

Responses

Remember that everything in this business is based on a subjective response. The script editor may say that they hated character A’s out-dated and stereotyped attitudes, or they might praise character A’s wonderfully old fashioned and bigoted views. Mostly, though, you will get a standard rejection letter.

Follow through

Don’t give up. Rejection is part of this industry - and if you can’t take criticism, you are not the kind of writer people are looking for. Take heart from rejections that say, we look forward to receiving your next script.

If you manage to send your ‘Calling Card’ script to an Agent and they do not dislike it, they will ask if you have anything else. Hence, having a Portfolio of scripts is essential. It is usually recommended having, at least three completed scripts. These should demonstrate the breadth of your writing styles and subjects.

Final points

If taken on by an agent it is likely to be a loose arrangement made by an exchange of letters. Once you have an Agent, this is not a meal ticket. Agents can drop you from their books just as quickly if you are unsaleable, or ‘prove difficult to work with’. Also, it is unlikely that they will hustle much for you. You will still have to get out there and sell your stuff. You create the leads and the Agent closes the deal.

Also, try to remember that the Agent works for the writer, not vice versa. You employ the Agent and they need you more than you need them. If you have the scripts that people want, then you will be able to get the Agent that everyone wants as well. That is when the Agent begins to go out of their way for you and becomes the Good Agent you have heard about but have found hard to find.

If you have material that is a hard sell, you will have to do the selling and use the agent to back you up when the time is ripe. Do not sit back and hope they will make the sale. If they think your material is a hard sell they will try once or twice maybe but will not do much for you if you continue giving them hard material to move.

However, beware of bad agents. These might not recognise good material. They might not have the contacts they claim to have. They might be lazy. Or have a client list with conflicting interests. They will lie to you. They will not submit to people they claim to be submitting to. They will not be frank with you. If you think you have a bad agent, check with their other clients, test your material by trying to market it yourself or going back to that writers group you started with. And when you are certain of this, find a better agent before leaving the old one.

There is also the possibility that your Agent has lost faith in you. If you do not jump first, eventually they will tell you to go elsewhere. Whereupon you reassess your material, put together another portfolio and begin again.

COPYRIGHT

This subsists in all original literary work. There is no copyright in ideas as such. In the UK the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 gives to authors the Moral Right which continental writers have had for many years. Essentially a writer can now insist on being identified as the creator of a work and resist unjustified modification of his or her words.

Normal practice to protect a literary work is to put © writers name, and date on the title page. Most authors deposit a copy with one of the script-registration services (both the ACTT and the UK Writers Guild have them) or post it recorded delivery to themselves so that they can keep the unopened envelope as proof of the date of the creation of the work. Another extremely convenient method for those with internet connections is to send a zipped, password protected file to the Writers Guild of America East, Registration Service for a mere $22. Simply find their page and follow the instructions. http://www.wgaeast.org

Generally, production organisations do not steal ideas or scripts. However, it is very difficult to prove that your idea has been lifted even if there is a strong paper trail to the suspects. At bottom, you are relying upon people’s integrity in an industry where integrity sometimes has a price tag.

Writers should be aware that similar ideas are often in circulation, and not leap to conclusions when something like one of their projects reaches the screen. In practical terms, most writers do not have the resources to sue powerful organisations. There have however, been successful cases. On these occasions, the copyright infringement was so blatant there was little doubt that someone else’s name was put onto a script and they took the money.

It looks likely that the practice of having the writer assign his/her copyright (that is waiving all rights to their work) will become more widespread, thus negating the gains from the 1988 act. It is up to writers to resist this but sometimes it might be more advantageous to take a large sum up front instead of awaiting a riskier but more lucrative offer further down the line. Overall, money in the hand is worth more than the promise of money so unless you really are convinced that you have a major hit on your hands you should look carefully at buy-outs.

Large television companies such as the BBC and the ITV companies have fair agreements negotiated with the Writers Guild which ensures a scale of payments applied to all scripts, including those of beginners.

With the proliferation of very small production companies, as well as sales of material in markets such as cable or other countries, the question of copyright has become very problematical for the writer. If you are offered a contract with dubious clauses in small print it is wise to see a lawyer who specialises in the subject and of course, you should have an agent at this stage of the game.

All of screenwriting is a risky business but copyright theft is a minor part of the industry. You have to circulate a project widely to find the right person to get it on screen and that can mean helping create the atmosphere in which similar ideas to yours grow.

MENTAL HEALTH WARNING

Screenwriting is not a passport to fame, wealth and happiness. There are far easier ways of earning a crust. Become a commodity broker. Robbing trains. Digging for gold! Only those who are mad enough to have writing in the blood are likely to have the persistence to succeed in this, the most competitive of all writing industries and the most lucrative.

If you are interested in radio, theatre, or prose, try to make a start there. It is rather easier to get a fringe play put on than sell a screenplay, and it gets you those first ‘credits’ to put on your ‘track record’.

On the other hand, Screenwriting is a unique craft and skills in other forms of writing are not as transferable as you might believe.

You haven’t been put off then?

Writing for television or film is lucrative, compared to other writerly occupations. A successful television writer can earn a respectable middle-class income and some times can hit massive windfalls.

Most screenwriters in the UK start by scripting episodes of various shows. This is very demanding, teaches you your craft, and producers are often willing to try out new writers as they have a need for fresh material. Writers then progress to being the author of single TV films, which carry much kudos, or single-author series, of up to 6 parts. Screen 2 and Film on Four are very good for a writer as they may get a theatrical release. This is often the transitional stage to creating a Hollywood career in features writing. This is a perilous strategy, as a writer may have to commit a great deal of time to a risky project in the US when they could be adding to their reputation in the UK.

To supplement their earnings in lean times, writers lecture, write screenwriting books and often become script editors on series or ‘script-doctors’ to patch up bad scripts at a late stage. If they are good at deal making or directing, they may become writer/ producers or writer/directors.